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Lighter and Completely Redesigned: New CAMP Ultralight Ski Mountaineering Ice Axes

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CAMP picked up Gold Award at 2020 ISPO for their new Race Corse ice axe.

After few years of loosing ground to its competitors, CAMP has came back to reclaim the prize for the lightest ice axe in the world!

The new blue Corsa Race weigh feathery 185 grams at 50cm! It will be in stores later this year.

The Italian company, known for its ultralight ski mountaineering and climbing gear, has actually redesigned its whole Corsa line of super light ice axes. Further shaving weight while managing to add some new exciting features along the way.

From left: Corsa Alpine, Corsa, Corsa Nanotech, Corsa Race.

New CAMP Corsa Ice Axes

It’s apparent that CAMP did a lot of thinking and testing as the new Corsa ice axes look very different from their predecessors. Below, the previous generation of the Corsa (202g at 50cm) and the legendary red Corsa Nanotech (246g at 50cm) ice axes.

The most obvious design changes can be found on the heads and picks, both delivering improved hand holding in various positions while walking.

The picks of the Corsa Nanotech and the black Corsa Alpine are specifically designed for more technical use. BTW, the black Corsa Alpine sports an all steel head and pick!

The second important update improves handling and grip for climbing by introducing groves, or holes on the blue Corsa Race, on the lower part of the shafts.

Just like its father, the red Corsa Nanotech will feature a sharp pick at the bottom of the shaft.

The weight savings come from shaving off material at strategic places without reducing the strength of the already light materials.

Notice regional material thinning on the shaft that not only saves weight but also improves handling.

The all time popular red Corsa Nanotech will stay red and will weigh in at 225g at 50cm, and will also come in 60 and 70cm lengths.

The black Corsa Alpine features a full steel head and will be a tool of choice for more technical adventures yet weighing only 240g in 45cm. You can also have it in 55 and 65cm lengths.

The new green Corsa will be essentially a less fancy Corsa Race while still only 202g at 50cm. Also available at 60 and 70cm.

Review: CAMP Alp Mountain Harness for Ski Mountaineering and Alpinism

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Overview:

Suitability: ski mountaineering and glacier travel, mountaineering and alpinism, rappels and easy climbing
Usual full price: around $70 USD (at Skimo.co)
Weight: 260g in Medium size (Small, Medium, Large)
Pros: durability, functionality, fit and comfort, low weight
Cons: ease of use could be improved

Bottom Line:

This harness is best for ski mountaineering and glacier travel mainly thanks to its low weight and functionality that allows for putting it on without the need to remove your skis or crampons.

It also performs well for general mountaineering, alpinism and even easy climbing where long vertical falls are not expected. Obviously, this depends on your skill level and judgement.

In the Tantalus Range, British Columbia, Canada.

Review:

We have been using the CAMP Alp Mountain harness for a couple of months now. From glacier travel and ski mountaineering, to alpine mountaineering and even some sports climbing of grades up to 5.10c (6a).

On the beautiful long ridge of Piz Palu in Switzerland.

The single most important feature of this harness is that you can put it on and take it off without removing your skis or crampons but let’s discuss beyond this main characteristic.

In general, thanks to its wide webbing and thin padding on the waist, the harness fits well over any type of clothing as it’s easy to adjust the leg loops and waist belt. It is also very comfortable to wear all day long whether in the winter or summer.

The harness comes in 3 sizes so make sure to choose an optimal fit – not too loose, not too tight – and you can use it for a variety of activities too.

While fairly minimalist, the CAMP Alp Mountain harness offers enough gear loops to carry all your necessary crevasse rescue gear, or your climbing gear when you go mountaineering.

Ski mountaineering and glacier travel are the main activities why you might be looking at this harness. It’s light, it packs small, and when you occasionally need it you can quickly put it on without the hassle of removing your skis. We have definitely enjoyed it for this type of use.

While the harness also works well for general mountaineering and easy climbing you need to remember that it’s not well padded – taking a big fall won’t be very comfortable.

For mountaineering, just like for ski mountaineering, you will appreciate its low weight and overall comfort.

We have been also actively using it for sports climbing but the harness didn’t inspire us to push our limit as its lack of padding makes it not very pleasant to take a fall with.

Another great way to test the comfort of the harness was rappelling. Once loaded, it felt as comfortable as fully padded climbing harnesses. Of course, this might be different if we were to rappel a long vertical route but one could still do it.

What We Think Could Be Improved:

There is not much to complain about when you use this harness for its intended purposes. Perhaps, weight could be shaved further with newer materials and a little bit of colour could add some “liveliness” to the somewhat boring grey.

Where Innovation Meets History: Visiting CAMP Headquarters and Factory in Premana, Italy

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As if from a mythical story book, there is a very specific charm to visiting traditional European outdoor gear manufacturers. They are often hidden high up in mountain valleys as if they were kept a secret.

C.A.M.P started in 1889 as a one-man metal shop. We maintain this heritage in the raw world of manufacturing where have passed the value of getting our hands dirty down through four generations of family owners. This is our heritage and it will always be our future.

Last year, we visited La Sportiva in a beautiful valley of Val di Fiemme in Italy and now it was time to pay tribute to another historically significant player in the climbing and ski mountaineering world.

With so many brands offering outdoor gear these days there are only a few with such strong roots and vision such as the family-owned CAMP. This 125 years old manufacturer has a lightweight gear manifesto that drives its decisions with every existing product and when designing anything new.

While lightweight is fundamental in CAMP’s product research and development they integrate it with other drivers such as product functionality, passion for work well done, the alpine heritage of the brand, and they see each product as an enabler for climbers and ski mountaineers that use it realize their goals.

If there is one thing we can do with any piece of equipment to improve its performance, it is to make it lighter. THIS IS A UNIVERSAL TRUTH and it is a driving force at CAMP where we start with purpose-built designs and then trim the fat for a result that has become the world’s lightest line of equipment for climbers, mountaineers, alpinists and ski mountaineers. In the mountains, we are obliged to be prepared for whatever may come our way. This means we cannot skimp on our selections when we choose the right tools for the adventure… – from CAMP’s Lightweight Manifesto

As with La Sportiva in Val di Fiemme, CAMP chooses to stay in a small charming mountain village of Premana not because it makes for a better story but because a handful of local families are part of its manufacturing process since the very beginning.

In fact, CAMP is short for “Concezione Articoli Montagna Premana”, and in English it means “Conceptions of Products for Mountains in Premana”.

Product Lines and Research & Development

For a small company, compared to La Sportiva or Scarpa, CAMP has an amazingly big selection of products, most of them in the hard goods segment (climbing gear) instead of relying only on clothing like most brands.

CAMP basically manufactures every imaginable gear of climbing, alpine climbing and ski mountaineering equipment, except ropes, while they clothing line is limited to a couple of highly functional pieces that are mostly available only in Italy for now.

True to its values, the company constantly pushes for improvements and innovation in a dynamic way.

At 246g in 50cm length, the Corsa Nanotech ice axe uses Nanoflex – special steel developed with nanotechnology – and is one of many examples how CAMP blends superb functionality with lightweight and minimalism.

With only about 10-15 designers and consultants, and a much smaller R&D budget than most outdoor brands, it is fascinating that CAMP is one of industry leaders.

CAMP Outdoor vs CAMP Safety

CAMP does not only develop and manufactures gear for outdoors but it also has tremendous amounts of know-how in the industrial safety gear design.

Druid Descender – a lightweight, compact auto-braking descender for rope access and rescue.

Determined by the differences in priorities, focus in outdoor products is a blend of light weight and function to enable absolute best athletic performance. With industrial products, the focus is primarily on safety, function, durability and compliance to various ever more stringent safety standards, often different by region or even country.

CAMP Headquarters and Factory Tour

After navigating narrow roads above a steep gorge we arrived to CAMP offices and factory in Premana to meet Isacco Codega – one of the fourth generation of the Codega family, that founded this highly specialized company back in 1889, and still leading it today.

Stylish handles on the front door to CAMP’s headquarters.

Designers and administration staff was busy at work while we went through a long hallway that displayed some of CAMPs gear and mountain photos.

Isacco brought us to their internal testing facility that allows them to collect lots of valuable data about their existing gear as well as to test new ideas. While light weight is very important for the company they also test durability by simulating the use of their gear thousands of times, for example opening and closing a carabiner gate many thousand times to learn how this might affect the its function over long periods of use.

One of the tests we witnessed was with the ski mountaineering Speed Comp helmet that has been significantly upgraded over the last two years to meet the double certification standard – for skiing and climbing – that is now required by ISMF, the International Ski Mountaineering Federation.

New CAMP Speed Comp helmet (in blue) has been considerably improved over the old model (white) to comply with EN 12492 and EN 1077/B certification standards in accordance with ISMF rules.

CAMP’s R&D engineer prepared for us a “Test of resistance to penetration EN 1077 class B of Speed Comp helmet” during which a 3 kg sharply pointed spike is dropped at the velocity of 2.71 m/s from the height of 375mm, and it should not contact with the head form.

After talking to one of the main designers and engineers, Isacco lead us to the bottom floor of the building to CAMP’s main manufacturing shop for crampons, ice axes and other various equipment.

Here you can watch one of many steps that are needed to manufacture a pair of mountaineering crampons:

These pipes will be reborn as ice axes soon.
CAMP’s manufacturing shop just after the workers left for the day.
Front parts of crampons waiting for polishing.

Relationship with Athletes and Other Companies

Robert Antonioli

CAMP deeply cares about its athletes and ambassadors, and many of them are very loyal in return.

Likewise, deeper relationships exist in Italy even among companies as CAMP occasionally cooperates with other brands such as La Sportiva.

CAMP will also play an integral part in the 2019 Arc’Teryx Alpine Academy in Chamonix in July by providing gear as well as running two climbing specific clinics. CAMP has also partnered with Arc’Teryx for their Jackson Hole Backcountry Academy.

Into The Future

There is no doubt that CAMP will keep pushing the limits of innovation for all of us to enjoy the benefits to let us move through the mountains safely and efficiently so we can focus on the beautiful experiences rather than equipment.

In the coming weeks, we will be testing some of CAMP’s finest ski mountaineering gear to weight its pros and cons so you can make more informed choices before your next adventure.

Is Your Skimo Helmet Legal for Racing? New ISMF Rule and the EN 12492, EN 1077 and UIAA 106 certifications

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skimo-helmets-matchup
Several weeks ago, we hinted that some new ISMF rule changes will affect the gear skimo athletes will need to use at ISMF sanctioned races starting in the 2016/17 season. Since then one of the most debated topics among athletes revolves around helmets.
Here, we are taking a deeper look at:

  • the new ISMF helmet rule and how it will affect the use of your (and our) current helmets,
  • what the certifications/standards mean,
  • what you should pay attention to in a store,
  • which helmets currently on the market have both of these certifications.

* ISMF stands for International Ski Mountaineering Federation and is the world governing body for skimo racing.

The new ISMF rule and required helmet certifications

For years, ISMF required our skimo racing helmets to meet only the UIAA 106 or EN 12492 standards. Both are basically the same and saying a helmet has been certified for mountaineering.
However, with the beginning of the new racing season our helmets will also require the EN 1077 classB standard – effectively meaning, a helmet has been certified for alpine skiing.
This is the helmet rule to the letter as of last update in early October 2016:

A helmet conforming to:
– UIAA 106 (For season 2016-2017 : UIAA 106 and EN 1077 classB standards)
– or EN 12492 (For season 2016-2017 : or EN 12492 and EN 1077 classB standards).
Helmets must be used (chin-strap has to be fastened) during the whole race (from the start to the finish line). CE/UIAA: Yes.

What do these certifications and standards mean?

In a nutshell, this is the difference between the two certifications/standards:

  • UIAA 106 and EN 12492 standards test and approve helmets mainly for impact from above such as rockfall, hence, the standard was designed for climbing and mountaineering helmets.
  • EN 1077 standard tests and approves helmets for alpine skiing where a lot of impact is happening on collision or when a skier falls. Statistically, in such situations the impact is coming from the sides or the back of the head.
    This standard further divides into class A and class B, which essentially only differentiates the amount of head’s side and back areas covered up by the helmet. Class A helmets cover the head more while class B helmets less, however, both meet the same minimal impact force requirement protection from directions defined in the standard.

Do you really need a new helmet?

The answer is not black and white. First check your old helmet for certification tags to see whether or not it is compliant with both standards. Beyond this:

  • You will need a new helmet if you are planning on racing in World Cups, World Championships or any races that fully comply with ISMF rules.
  • You may not need a new helmet right away for racing in smaller events in the US, Canada and other countries depending whether their federations and organizers follow ISMF rules to the letter or are a bit more “accommodating” for the sake of growing the local skimo scene.

As for US and Canadian races, we received confirmation from both federations that they won’t be enforcing this rule in the current season, and will only start to do so from 2017/18. This is because many of the new helmets won’t even make it to North American market this year.

Buying your new certified skimo racing helmet

When buying your new lid you want to make absolutely sure that it has the above specified double-certification. Check for those little “EN” stickers or tags inside the helmet or on manufacturer’s website as not all store employees will know the correct answer.

Ventilation

We are curious to see how the new helmets will ventilate. While safety is a priority, in skimo we spend majority of time climbing, with the surface of our heads being one of the most important areas through which the body cools. On most ski-rated helmets, vents are conspicuously absent – likely because they are primarily designed for descending, and therefore warmth.
Road cycling also went through this “ventilation” debate but the speeds reached on a bicycle while climbing are much higher than while skinning and the helmets don’t need to meet the mountaineering standard; therefore, cooling is much easier. It will probably take a few years before a happy medium is found and a manufacturer can develop a new skim0-specific design.

Currently compliant helmets on the market under 500g

skimo-helmets-comply-ismfAccording to our own research (mainly based on manufacturers’ websites) here is a list of helmets that comply with the new ISMF rule and are currently on the market.
However,many of these won’t be available in North American stores just yet.
Alpina Snow Tour – 330g
Camp Pulse – around 360g (must be used with winter kit for double certification)
Cebe Trilogy – around 360g
Dynafit Daymaker – 320g
Dynafit DNA – 290g
Dynafit ST – 320g
Kong Kosmos – 390g (also certified for cycling)
Mammut Alpine Rider – 430g
Salewa Vert FSM – 400g
Salomon MTN Lab – 300g – Read our review!
Ski Trab Casco Gara/Race – 280g
Ski Trab Casco Maximo – 280g
Uvex P.8000 Tour – 310g

Non-compliant but popular “ski mountaineering” helmets

Note that some of these helmets might meet the EN 1077 standard for skiing in the future but they first need to be tested for it, thus, as of now they don’t comply:
Black Diamond Vapor
Black Diamond Vector
Camp Speed 2.0
Dynafit Radical
Edelrid Shield Lite
Kong Leef
La Sportiva Mulaz (same as Crazy Idea Crazy NRG)
La Sportiva RSR (same as Crazy Idea Crazy Carbon)
Petzl Scirocco
Petzl Meteor
Ski Trab Attivo (same helmet as Kong Leef)

Important Changes to 2017 ISMF Race Gear Rules

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nopiepsSeveral important rule changes were adopted in that will impact racers competing on the World Cup and at World Championships level in the upcoming 2017 season. Sources inside the International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF) say that a grace period was given to athletes last season with enforcement of the rules beginning this year.

Three-antenna Transceivers Will Be Required

All avalanche beacons must be a full three-antenna model. This will primarily impact racers using the lightweight Pieps Freeride which will no longer be compliant. Thankfully, Pieps showcased a new lightweight three-antenna beacon in January, called the Pieps Micro, weighing in at 150g (the Freeride was 110g).
We suspect that all but the most hardcore racers will opt to use their normal ski-touring beacon rather than dropping nearly $400 USD on a new beacon. However, every gram counts and the beacon will last many more seasons than a pair of skis or boots.

Zippered Transceiver Pocket

Another related change is the requirement that beacons must be placed inside an internal zippered pocket. Putting the beacon in a skin pocket is not allowed and even the dedicated beacon pockets found on more recent Dynafit and Crazy Idea suits with the two overlapping flaps of fabric will not be compliant.
Thus, right now it might be a good time to do some surgery on your suit to add a small zipper.

Double Helmet Certification

The other big change is the requirement that helmets must be certified to both climbing standards (UIAA 106/EN 12492) AND a ski standards (EN 1077). Most current helmets (Petzl Sirocco or BD Vapor for example) in use by racers are only rated for climbing. If you are unsure, check your helmet for a sticker that shows the EN 1077 designation. If you have that, you are good to go!
salomon-mtn-lab-helmet-matte-yellow-whiteAs far as we can tell, only a few manufacturers have released double-certified helmets:
Ski Trab Gara – 280g
CAMP Pulse (with the addition of the winter kit) – 339g
Dynafit DNA (we can’t actually find this for sale anywhere) – 290g
Salomon MTN Lab – 300g
There might be a slight chance that some of the currently non-compliant helmets might not have been tested for the ski certification before but manufacturers will pursue this in the future and become compliant if they pass. But it’s impossible to know.

Ventilation

We are very curious to see how the newly certified helmets will ventilate. While safety is a priority, in skimo we spend 95% of the time climbing and sweating heavily, with the surface of our heads being (one of) the most important areas through which the body cools.
Road cycling also went through this debate, however, the speeds reached on a bicycle while climbing are much greater than while skinning. We suspect that it will take a couple of years before a happy medium is found.
 

New Skimo Gear for 2015-2016 Season

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La Sportiva Sideral 2.0
La Sportiva Sideral 2.0
It’s that time of year when all the manufacturers are coming out with the newest products. Here we want to give you a quick overview of what is new this season. Frankly, it is a relatively quiet one, with very few truly new products. Several companies have given current products some big updates however.
The biggest change of the season is in skimo racing bindings. Weight continues to be shaved off despite new ISMF regulations that require race bindings to have manual locking mechanisms (pulling up on the toe piece to lock in). All the major brands now have a competitive (light weight) binding with a manual lock.

La Sportiva

No major changes to the La Sportiva ski line but the citizen race/ski touring boot – the Sideral – has been update to the 2.0 version. It features improved buckles (borrowed from the Spectre model) and an updated sole that offers compatibility with Tech, Frame and Trab TR2 binding systems.

Dynafit

Dynafit continues to improve its ski running line with the retail release of the 2.0 version of the DNA Race ski, boot, and Low Tech Race binding.

Dynafit Low Tech Race 2.0 Binding
Dynafit Low Tech Race 2.0 Binding
DNA 2.0 ski (and PDG 2.0) – The new DNA ski is 40 grams lighter than the black DyNA thanks to its carbon construction. It is also shaped a bit differently (similar to the Cho-Oyu or Denali shape) compared to previous version, while retaining the same dimensions (99-65-80) and turn radius (20m). The PDG 2.0 adopts the same shape and shaves 25 grams off its predecessor.
DNA Boot (PG RC-1 2.0) – Last year, Dynafit stepped away from their DyNA race boot and began licensing the Pierre Gignoux Morpho 400 as their RC-1 race boot. The 2015/16 DNA Boot is an improved RC-1 with a new color scheme (green and pink to match the skis) as well as an improved sole (way better than the RC-1!), and a new upper cuff strap system. Probably, it will be pretty difficult to find much stock in the US but if you find yourself in Europe it’s much more common over there.
Low Tech Race 2.0 Binding – With ISMF regulations requiring a race binding toe that does not auto lock, the Low Tech Race has taken an TLT Superlight toe piece with locking lever and trimmed it down to the essential material, pairing it with a Gignoux plastic heel piece to create a lightweight (around 100g) binding with a removable crampon attachment.

Plum Race 99 Bindings
Plum Race 99 Bindings

Plum

Race 99 Binding – This is an exciting entry into the game from Plum as the lightest all-metal binding on the market at a scant 99 grams. Mount these on any of the lighter skis and you might find yourself needing to add weight to meet the ISMF minimums! We got a chance to check them out at the 2015 Pierra Menta in March and at the Plum factory in Annecy, they are pretty cool!

Fischer

While racing the World Cup last season, Eric took mental note of all the broken skis that he saw throughout the year, and there were lots! The yellow Fischers topped the list but it looks like they have worked out the issues this year with their new Alp Attack Carbon skis. It has the same design as the (older) yellow version with a new construction and top sheet.
Race binding – Fisher is moving away from ATK as their bindings manufacturer and adopted the Dynafit Low Tech as its own re-branded binding for this season. Using the same toe as the Low Tech described above, it is slightly heavier with the older version Low Tech heel (metal rather than the current plastic Gignoux heel). This unit is likely much more durable for day-to-day use.

Fischer Profoil Skins
Fischer Profoil Skins
Profoil skins – Not really a skimo race quiver but worthy of a mention. The Fischer Profoil skins are just a thin sheet of plastic with no natural or artificial hair. Fischer claims the skins are just as effective climbing, have as good glide as mohair, but due to the material they literally can never ball up with snow (when wet to cold conditions occur). They cannot be trimmed and are only able to be used on a ski of a certain width (to allow room for a certain pattern on the base), but with their light weight and low bulk they could be especially useful on an ultra-wide ski.

CAMP Speed 2.0 Helmet
CAMP Speed 2.0 Helmet

CAMP

Speed 2.0 Helmet – CAMP is responsible for some excellent skimo accessories including their Rapid Racing Pack and their Race 290 crampons, and have now improved their venerable Speed helmet to be slightly lighter and with a new retention system. The Speed 2.0 helmet is comfortable for racing and does not to conflict much with sunglasses or a light light hat.

Ski Trab

Gara Titan binding – Ski Trab’s new binding comes in at just over 100g (slightly less than Dynafit Low Tech 2.0) and has all the required features plus a new design that allows the tech toe to close without coiled springs on the wings. Being completely new on the market, it may require some testing of the concept but it’s a possible worthy alternative binding.

Petzl Rad System
Petzl Rad System

Petzl

Rad Line – This is a special 30 meter, 6mm diameter ‘hyperstatic’ cord that can be used for rappelling and for glacier travel. The cord is pre-packaged by Petzl with three lightweight screw-lock carabiners, a double-shoulder length sling (can be used as an anchor or improvised harness), a micro traction (rope capture pulley (for a crevasse rescue), and a Tibloc (for rope ascent), all in a fancy Petzl bag.
The Rad Line is basically a ready-to-go ski mountaineering kit. Perfect for glaciers in the North Cascades, or Chamonix, or dropping into gnarly lines in the Tetons. Pair it with a thicker 30m lead line for harder terrain or use a skinny pull rope for 30m rappels.

For now, that’s all we have for new 2015-2016 skimo gear. We will have some more in-depth reviews of all of the above products soon! If we’ve missed anything, please give us a shout in the comments below or via our contact form.